I'm Safe, I'm Home: A process evaluation

Abstract

“I’m Safe, I’m Home: A Process Evaluation” is the first evaluation of the Domestic Violence Support Western Sydney Service (DVSWSS) program, a three year trial of a new intervention to prevent homelessness caused by domestic violence. Funded by the NSW Homelessness Action Plan to run between 2010-2012 in parallel to the traditional refuge system, DVSWSS offers medium term “wrap around” support for women and children escaping domestic violence to restart their lives in private accommodation. The evaluation describes how DVSWSS is run to overcome implementation difficulties and how it assisted over 650 people, exceeding targets by 13 per cent. DVSWSS cost effectively provides client-centred, individually tailored support across 38 services and 12 local government areas in Greater Western Sydney. The report serves both as a manual for wider dissemination of the program, and describes in detail the policy implications and opportunities arising from this program.